1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” The play begins in the summer of 1918, Saturday morning in South Carolina. It takes place in thebackyards of Julia, Mattie, Fanny, and Lula. Mattie's daughter Teeta has just lost a quarter and they are trying to find it as Julia tries to sleep.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students. The intrusion takes place when Herman faints and everyone finds out he is sick with Influenza. This further complicates the relationship between Herman and Julia.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Today is the day that Herman is revealed to have influenza, Herman's mom and Julia have an argument, and when Julia kicks them out of her house.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) Will Julia and Herman still end up together despite the fact that they are black and white, and that Herman is dying?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play. a. Julia is against herself because she has pride in who she is but wants a man to protect her and give her his name. She does not know if staying with Herman is worth it. b. Julia is going against Herman's mother because his mother hates black people and does not want her son to marry Julia. Julia in turn hates Herman's mother and later does not care of her opinion on Julia's and Herman's relationship. c. Julia is going against society by engaging in a relationship with Herman, who is white, which is against the law. d. Julia still wants to be with Herman, despite the fact that he is dying with influenza, which means they will never be married.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band. The most engaging moment in the play was when Julia and Herman's mother were fighting. At this moment I was uncertain if Julia might leave Herman or not because of all the things Julia and Herman's mother were saying to each other. But alas, Julia did not lose her love for Herman, and locked his mother out of her house.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) The loss of the quarter at the beginning the play signified the poor and how valuable each cent was to them. It was taken very seriously by Mattie, who was very poor. The wedding band Herman gave to Julia showed that they could never be married due to the law and his sickness, which is why Julia hung it around her neck rather then wearing it on her hand. She later gives it to Mattie, which shows that she has accepted Herman's and her future. At the beginning of the play the three houses are described, and only Julia's house is described to be pretty and elegant, while the other two are shabby. This may show how Mattie and Lula have been through a lot in life, how they have suffered, while Julia is still relatively young and not yet settled.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band. Racism, freedom, love are all discussed in the play.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think? Julia seems to have no family other than Herman, Herman has Julia, but also has his mother who he is indebted to and his sister. Mattie's husband is away at war so she has to take care of her daughter alone. Lula's family has died so she only has her adopted son. Fanny, Lula, and Mattie seem to act as their own little family.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play begins in the summer of 1918, Saturday morning in South Carolina. It takes place in the backyards of Julia, Mattie, Fanny, and Lula. Mattie's daughter Teeta has just lost a quarter and they are trying to find it as Julia tries to sleep.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
The intrusion takes place when Herman faints and everyone finds out he is sick with Influenza. This further complicates the relationship between Herman and Julia.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
Today is the day that Herman is revealed to have influenza, Herman's mom and Julia have an argument, and when Julia kicks them out of her house.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Julia and Herman still end up together despite the fact that they are black and white, and that Herman is dying?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
a. Julia is against herself because she has pride in who she is but wants a man to protect her and give her his name. She does not know if staying with Herman is worth it.
b. Julia is going against Herman's mother because his mother hates black people and does not want her son to marry Julia. Julia in turn hates Herman's mother and later does not care of her opinion on Julia's and Herman's relationship.
c. Julia is going against society by engaging in a relationship with Herman, who is white, which is against the law.
d. Julia still wants to be with Herman, despite the fact that he is dying with influenza, which means they will never be married.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
The most engaging moment in the play was when Julia and Herman's mother were fighting. At this moment I was uncertain if Julia might leave Herman or not because of all the things Julia and Herman's mother were saying to each other. But alas, Julia did not lose her love for Herman, and locked his mother out of her house.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The loss of the quarter at the beginning the play signified the poor and how valuable each cent was to them. It was taken very seriously by Mattie, who was very poor. The wedding band Herman gave to Julia showed that they could never be married due to the law and his sickness, which is why Julia hung it around her neck rather then wearing it on her hand. She later gives it to Mattie, which shows that she has accepted Herman's and her future. At the beginning of the play the three houses are described, and only Julia's house is described to be pretty and elegant, while the other two are shabby. This may show how Mattie and Lula have been through a lot in life, how they have suffered, while Julia is still relatively young and not yet settled.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Racism, freedom, love are all discussed in the play.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Julia seems to have no family other than Herman, Herman has Julia, but also has his mother who he is indebted to and his sister. Mattie's husband is away at war so she has to take care of her daughter alone. Lula's family has died so she only has her adopted son. Fanny, Lula, and Mattie seem to act as their own little family.